A longitudinal study of patients with hemophilia: Immunologic correlates of infection with HTLV-III LAV and other viruses

Abstract

A comprehensive study was initiated to examine the immunologic status of a sample (n = 47) of the asymptomatic hemophilia A and B populations of metropolitan Atlanta and to determine if any of the abnormalities changed with time or correlated with infection by human T cell leukemia virus type III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) or other viruses either alone or in combination. Patients with hemophila A (Hem-A) showed a defect in cellular immunity evidenced by a depressed T cell helper/suppressor ratio (P < .0001), an increased absolute T suppressor cell number (P